Day 1 Final Results
CLAREMONT, CALIF. – Otterbein University junior Kristen Bennett suffered a disappointing result Thursday afternoon at the NCAA Division III Track and Field Championships, failing to make the finals in the long jump at Fritz B. Burns Stadium.
Bennett, seeded fourth in the event, recorded 18-2 ¼ on her first leap before slightly improving to a mark of 18-5 on her second effort. In an unfortunate twist, Bennett’s tape mark on the runway, helping her judge her steps, blew away prior to her last attempt. She would later foul on the final jump en route to missing the cut.
She will now turn her attention to the triple jump, which takes place Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. local time.
“I went up to take my last jump and my tape mark was gone, which made me panic a little,” Bennett explained. “I’m not mad and there are no excuses, but it's disappointing because I felt good today and thought that last jump was a good one. I expect more of myself, but am proud of what I was able to accomplish this year and won’t let today define my long jump season. It makes me even more excited for the triple jump now because it’s the last chance to accomplish my goal of becoming an All-American.”
Bennett qualified for nationals after a record-setting Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) meet last month, becoming the conference record holder in the long jump at 19-8 ¼, and setting a school record with a winning distance of 38-7 in the triple jump.
“She hasn’t had much trouble with fouling all season, and at this level you can’t be off any,” head coach Dave Lehman said. “It was unfortunate to see that happen when she needed a jump the most, but she’s had a tremendous season so far and I can’t say enough about her contributions to the team. We just have to keep our heads up and see if we can’t pull a surprise in the other direction Saturday with the triple jump.”
Otterbein hurdler Austin Curbow will run in the preliminaries of the 110-meter hurdles Friday evening at 5:25 p.m. (PT), with the finals of the event set for Saturday.
